Orlando Man Indicted for Attempted Sexual Enticement of a Minor

Orlando Man Indicted for Attempted Sexual Enticement of a Minor

ORLANDO, FL—United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Ronald Grocoff (62, Orlando) with the attempted sexual enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to court documents, on March 27, 2015, Grocoff responded to an online advertisement posted by an undercover FBI Task Force Officer (“UC”). Grocoff and the UC soon began discussing Grocoff’s interest in paying the UC to have sex with the UC’s 12-year-old “daughter.” On April 6, 2015, Grocoff made arrangements to meet the UC and his “daughter.” A few days later, he agreed to pay the UC $20 and an unspecified amount of marijuana to have intercourse and oral sex with the “child.” That afternoon, Grocoff traveled to Seminole County to meet the UC. When he arrived at the prearranged meeting place, he approached the “father” and was arrested. In addition to a small amount of suspected marijuana, agents also found condoms and lubricant in Grocoff’s possession.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.